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My Old Kentucky Home Banjo Tabs

Traditional

My Old Kentucky Home Banjo Tablature: One Song, Many Styles

Recomended level: Intermediate

Tags: #slow, #vocal song

"My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!" is Stephen Foster's anti-slavery ballad, probably written in 1852. Foster might have been inspired by the Uncle Tom's Cabin of Harriet Beecher Stowe, with imagery witnessed on his visits to the Bardstown; Federal Hill called the Kentucky farm. But the title was later changed to 'My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night! The song was originally entitled' Poor Uncle Tom, Good-Night' in Foster's sketchbook! The music of Foster contains a distinct picture of Kentucky. The album "My Old Kentucky House, Good-Night!" When Charlotte was staying with the Rowan family, Atkinson Hill Rowan made a marriage proposal to her that she finally rejected — established a decisive moment in the career of Stephen Foster in regard to his personal beliefs about the slavery institution. In March 1852, in Foster's hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Harriet Beecher Stowe's abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin appeared. Following years of financial uncertainty and sharing his parent's and siblings ' memories of the White Cottage with Stephen, the importance of his longing for a permanent home that was no longer available to him greatly influenced his fiction.

Learn how to play My Old Kentucky Home on Banjo with this selection of tablatures:

Melody - Verse and Chorus
- Difficulty
- Key
  G
- Tempo
  110 bpm
- Tuning
  gDGBD
This one features a detailed melody of the verse and the chorus for My Old Kentucky Home!
Learn
Scruggs Style
- Difficulty
- Key
  G
- Tempo
  120 bpm
- Tuning
  gDGBD
Some of the lyrics are outdated and inappropriate, but the melody is timeless. It makes for a great instrumental tune. This could be fun in a band or a jam setting. If you're from th...
Learn
Basic Melody
- Difficulty
- Key
  G
- Tempo
  85 bpm
- Tuning
  eDGBD
Start with the melody - that's what Sonny Osborne says. Learning to play the melody and "play the syllables" is very important when learning a tune. It helps with memory, unders...
Learn
Melodic Style
- Difficulty
- Key
  G
- Tempo
  120 bpm
- Tuning
  gDGBD
A fun melodic arrangement of My Old Kentucky Home. Use the lick switcher for more variations. State the true melody clearly and with great tone at the end. Let everyone know exactly ...
Learn
Single String Style
- Difficulty
- Key
  G
- Tempo
  120 bpm
- Tuning
  gDGBD
A few challenging phrases. Focus on good tone production. Having the pick surface perpendicular to the string is a good starting point. Sometimes, you can attack the string at a slig...
Learn

Practicing Tips

Learning Overview: Broaden your musical horizons with our interactive guide to "My Old Kentucky Home," a slow, vocal song primed for intermediate bluegrass banjo artists. This educational tool features an array of Scruggs, Basic Melody, Melody - Verse and Chorus, Melodic, Single String Styles presenting an encompassing exploration of the song. Dive into both the classic and unique renditions of this melody, all while honing your own interpretation and style. With an innovative platform, Tunefox enhances your mobile learning experience, offering various creative and practice tools to help aid your banjo journey.

Tools for Creative Learning: One of the pillars of the Tunefox platform lies in its two key features; the Lick Switcher and Arrange Slider. The Lick Switcher is a dynamic tool that allows the incorporation of fresh licks within the song, effectively providing new perspectives to the learner. This feature facilitates endless variations, allowing you to personalize your arrangement and trigger novel interpretations of the tune. The Arrange Slider, on the other hand, allows a learner to manipulate the difficulty level and tone of the song, offering greater control and personalization of the-learning experience.

Practicing Tools: Accompanying the learning tools offered by Tunefox, several practicing tools help you fine-tune your performance: take control of the tempo, play along with backing tracks, accelerate your learning with the Speed Up Function, or take it down a notch using the Hide Notes function for learning by ear. These customizable features provide a comprehensive and controlled learning experience, ensuring that you get the most out of each session and progress at your own pace.

General Practice Tips: A generally recommended approach to practice is slow, steady learning. Beginning at a slower tempo allows you to become comfortable with the intricacies of the song, gradually increasing your pace as your confidence and familiarity with the tune improve. It's important to remain patient and consistent, focusing on technique and precision before speed to ensure a solid foundation for future progress.

My Old Kentucky Home lyrics

Randy Newman

Turpentine, dandelion wine
I just turned the corner and I'm doin' fine
Shootin' at the birds on the telephone line
Pickin' em off with this gun of mine
I got a fire in my belly
And a fire in my head
Goin' higher and higher
Till I'm dead

Sister Sue, she's short and stout
She didn't grow up - she grew out
Mama says she's plain but she's just bein' kind
Papa thinks she's pretty but he's almost blind
And they don't let her out 'cept late at night
But I don't care 'cause I'm all right

Chorus:
Oh, the sun shines bright on
My Old Kentucky Home
And the young folks roll on the floor
Oh, the sun shines bright on
My Old Kentucky Home
Keep them hard times away from my door

Brother Gene, is big and mean
And he don't have much to say
He had a little woman who he whupped each day
But now she's gone away
Got drunk last night
Kicked mama down the stairs
But I'm all right so I don't care

Chorus

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